Much ado about vaccine passports, even if they aren’t quite new. In the pilgrimage town of Pandharpur in Bombay, India, shortly after a vaccine for plague was developed in 1897, authorities required proof of vaccination as a condition of entry for the pilgrims who would flock to Pandharpur every...
Two Philippine cities — Manila and Butuan — have been selected to the top 50 cities among over 600 cities worldwide by the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2021 Mayors Challenge. Manila and Butuan were among the eight cities in Asia-Pacific which made it to the global 50 and the only two cities...
Practically every country has to deal with the scourge of fake driver’s licenses. For some time, these fakes have been laughably bad copies and quite obvious to the trained apprehending officer. Our current driver’s license is packed with a number of security features to prevent forgery. These...
The Philippines’ economic potential remains despite the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic that continues to wreak havoc in the communities. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is confident that the gross domestic product (GDP) would return to its pre-pandemic level by next year....
It is indeed a welcome news that, finally, Manila has a new archbishop in the person of Cardinal Jose Fuerte Advincula. As the country with the biggest population of Catholics in Asia, Manila is the largest archdiocese, with more than 80 parishes serving three million devotees. Pope Francis...
We’ve been flip-flopping on the use of face shields all week. It’s on and off from one day to the next. What is the deal with face shields? After a meeting with lawmakers, including Senate President Vicente Sotto III, at Malacañang last week, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte had agreed that the...
The government’s Safety Seal Certification program, which certifies an establishment for its compliance with the minimum public health standards (MPHS), is one of the government’s public-private sector’s collaborative efforts to reopen the economy and ensure its growth path safely. Safety...
After more than a year of lockdown, fully vaccinated senior citizens are now allowed to go out in General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and Modified General Quarantine (MGCQ) areas, subject to presentation of a duly issued COVID-19 vaccination card and strict observance of prescribed health and safety...
Like most other countries, the Philippines is celebrating Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June. This is despite the fact that in 1998, President Joseph Ejercito Estrada transferred the observance of both Father’s Day and Mother’s Day to the first Monday of December, thereby superseding...
José Rizal was born a very small child on this day 160 years ago. His father, Francisco Mercado, was a successful farmer while his mother, Teodora Alonso-Realonda, a gobernadorcillio ’s daughter, had a flour mill, a drug store, and a general store to her name. Rizal’s parents were among the...
Electricity demand surge ushered in by the country’s bit-by-bit economic reopening is now wrestling with available supply – especially for Luzon grid – but news of greenfield power plant developments are still not up to expectations. The main power grid can still count on new plants coming...
Let us be reminded once again of the value of the bicycle, the simple yet efficient means of active transport. The pandemic and its social limitations have thrust bicycles to the forefront as one of the most accessible and possibly safest way to get around the city or neighborhood. In just over a...
